RISE & GRIND! 33 Injured By Lightning At Music Festival, & MORE

33 people have been hurt by two lightning strikes at the “Rock am Ring Festival” in Western Germany. Eight people from the production team were injured by the first strike around 1:00 a.m. As a result, organizers halted the concert and shelter was offered to visitors in lightning-proof tents. Around 4:00 a.m. another lightning bolt hit the camping area and 25 were injured. Police say all 33 have been taken to the hospital and are expected to survive. [Billboard]

L.A. Reid is holding no punches when it comes to discussing his time on The X Factor. From 2011-2012, Reid was a judge for two seasons. However, at a Pepsi-sponsored Q&A in France, the Epic Records chief describes his short stint on the hit show as “the worst thing” he’s ever done.

“The first season, yes, I had a great time,” he said. “It was a little bit of a vacation. I’d been making music, working at running labels for a long time, and it was a little bit of, ‘Let me just have some fun.’ But the second season I was fully engaged trying run a label, and it wasn’t fun anymore. And more importantly, it really effected my taste — it almost destroyed it.” [THR]

The second season of Power just premiered, but the grind never stops when you’re 50 Cent. During a Q&A on Power‘s facebook page, the rapper announced that he will be releasing new music in the near future. His exact words being, “I’m getting ready to drop something right now.” 50’s “Street King Immortal” is due to release in September. [HotNewHipHop]